Help Me
by Petchricor
Summary: Slade's voice in his head, whispering...lying? Robin couldn't tell anymore. Had Slade been right all along? Was he really just a villain in a hero's mask?


**This is an old one and not really one of my best. But I decided to publish it because I felt like it. Anyway, enjoy~  
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Robin fell to his knees as he entered his room, panting heavily and letting himself sweat it all out. He wouldn't stop whispering inside his mind, telling him how he was a screw-up and just like him, that he was a villain in a hero's mask. Starfire had asked him if he was all right a few times throughout the day but Robin always just responded that he was tired and she bought it with a reassuring smile as she told him that they would be done before he knew it. He wouldn't stop whispering.

_"Come now, Robin. Don't deny it, you love to show off."_ Robin struggled to his feet, trying to ignore the voice in his head as he did so. _"Don't ignore me, respond!"_ Robin growled and ignored the voice still, stepping towards the sink to rinse his face off with cool water. He turned the water on and splashed his face with the freezing water, letting out a content sigh at the feeling. He turned it off and looked up, tensing as he saw Slade in his reflection, glaring at him. _"I said don't ignore me! Admit it, you love to show off and prove what you're made of, and you just love proving you can be a villain! You're a fake, a fraud! You-"_

"SHUT UP!" Robin screamed and punched the mirror, smashing it to pieces as he panted. "You're a liar! I'm not like that, I'll never be like that, I'm not you!" Robin found that he couldn't tear his hand away from the mirror as it bled, staining the reflective surface crimson. "I'm a hero, I'm not a villain." Robin looked down as he panted, knowing that he was just trying to convince himself of what he wasn't even sure was the truth. What if Slade was right? What if he was just a villain trying to hide behind a hero's title?

_"You do remember Red-X, right? Admit it, you loved being the villain and fighting for just the hell of it. Admit it Robin, you love being bad."_ Robin gritted his teeth and, with a loud yell, punched the mirror again as hard as he could. Pieces went flying and fell into the sink, shattering completely as his knuckles bled. He took his hand away from the glass to find it shaking as he stared down at it. _"Come now, you're a circus freak after all, born for show business, showing off is in your genes and you'll do anything to get a cheer."_

"No, I'm good, I'm a hero. I-I-I," Robin cursed himself for stuttered and clenched his fist, not only ignoring but almost enjoying the pain that shot though it. "I'm not a fake or a fraud, I mean everything that I do. Saving people, protecting them. I'm not a villain!"

_"Are you? Are you really, Robin? I don't think you are, I think you're lying to yourself, and I think you know you are. You're a fake! Batman would be ashamed of you!"_ Robin screamed in mental pain and agony, pounding his fist against the sink. He winced at the pain but found it oddly comforting. _"You love it. You love doing what's wrong, you love the thrill and the pain in your heart knowing you've betrayed someone's trust. You love doing what you know is wrong."_ Robin shook as he gritted his teeth so hard it felt like they'd shatter. _"ADMIT IT!"_

"NO!" Robin screamed. "Shut up shut up SHUT. UP!" Robin grabbed the sink in both hands and banged his head up against the mirror as hard as it could, pain searing through his forehead and his body screamed in protest as the glass cut his skin, blood trickling down his head and dripping into the sink.

_"I won't shut up until you ADMIT WHAT YOU ARE!"_ Robin screamed again and gripped the sink tighter, his entire body shaking from his tense he was. _"SAY IT!"_ Robin gritted his teeth as tight as he could, keeping the words from leaving his throat. _"SAY. IT!"_

"I'M A FRAUD!" Robin screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks as he spoke them. "I'm a fake, a fraud and a liar! A villain hiding behind a hero's title and wearing his mask!" Robin leaned his head back. "I'm a heathen!" He banged his head up against the mirror hard enough for it to fall off the wall and slam against the sink, shattering as he fell to his knees with a scream of agony. A mix of tears and blood hit the ground as he sobbed. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."

Robin fell onto his side and hugged himself tightly, not caring that glass was digging into his side where he lay as he ignored the glass that stung his forehead and fist. He just let himself cry and cry until he just couldn't anymore and when that happened he wept, quietly and almost soundlessly as he lay on the cold floor and he wept until he passed out.

AΩ

When Robin awoke he was in the same position he was in when he had passed out, he stared at the wall before him blankly with no emotion and didn't even care that Slade's voice didn't greet him in his now awake state. Dried blood clotted around his wounds so that he wasn't bleeding and he didn't even care about the glass stabbing him as he got to his feet. He didn't even glance at the broken mirror as he headed towards the door, knowing that one of the team would notice and he begged the gods that they'd please help him.

His door opened and he headed towards the main room at the slowest pace he would without going inches at a time. His body shrieked with pain as the glass moved in his skin and his wounds throbbed from not being treated as quickly as they should have, Robin only praying that someone would please help him. He would never openly ask for help because he saw it as a weakness but he cried out for help in his own ways, frowning more or being more frustrating than usual. No one usually noticed but if they missed this then he would just kill himself because at that point they really just didn't care.

Robin stopped in front of the door leading to the main room and just stared at it for a long moment, the half that didn't want help telling him to go back and the half that so desperately wanted it begging him to proceed. He blinked slowly once and staggered into the room, the sound of Beast Boy and Cyborg playing video games hitting his ears. He could see Raven floating in the air as she read a book and knew that Starfire was undoubtedly cooking an alien dish. There was a scream and a dish shattered.

"Oh my zorknog!" Starfire shrieked in terror, hands covering her mouth in shock. Everyone looked away from what they were doing to see what had made their friend scream like that and they looked ready for battle but not for what they say. Raven's book hit the floor as she gaped at Robin's dazed look and his injuries, Beast Boy looked like he might cry along with Starfire and Cyborg looked furious. "Robin, what happened?!"

"Did someone break in?" Cyborg asked as he ran over, the others right behind him. Book forgotten Raven was obviously struggling to keep her emotions under control as she stood beside the very concerned Beast Boy and Starfire. Robin wanted to answer but his mouth just didn't seem to move when he told it too, staying closed and quivering at the requested movement. "Robin?" Robin tried to tell them about what happened but his mouth stayed glued shut despite his efforts.

"Robin, please, what is wrong?" Starfire sounded ready to cry as she took a step forward, trembling. Robin's mouth finally managed to open but all that came out with a quiet sob and he was trembling instantly, looking down with eyes squeezed shut. While everyone stayed concerned and on alert for attack, Starfire seemed to know exactly what he meant to say but couldn't. "Oh, Robin." Starfire hugged Robin tightly, a hand rubbing his back in an effort at comfort. "Robin, it is all right now, you're friends are here to help you."

"Yeah man, we're always here if you need us, you know that," Cyborg told him softly, taking Starfire's cue to comfort the boy wonder even though he didn't know what was wrong. Raven frowned, wishing she knew what was wrong while Beast Boy sniffed as he wished the same thing. "Come on, what's wrong." Robin swallowed, trying to make his mouth work again and when he did his voice was weak and chapped.

"Slade," he whispered and all four were listening instantly to every word. "His voice was in my head, whispering to me, telling me things. He kept telling me that I-I'm a fraud, that I'm not a hero, that I'm a villain in a hero's mask. He-he kept whispering and whispering and whispering and he wouldn't stop!" Robin took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears and Starfire's grip tightened on him a bit as if trying to help him say what needed to be said. "I just…I got so angry with him, I punched my mirror…twice. And then-and then, I got angry at myself….I banged my head against the mirror." The all gasped quietly. "…twice. Then, I passed out…"

"Dude, why didn't you say something? We could have helped," Beast Boy said softly, looking very concerned for their leader. Robin didn't answer, knowing that if he spoke now he'd cry and he wanted to avoid that. "Dude, we all know what you're doing, trying not to cry and show weakness. But we saw you practically going insane, remember? We don't care if you're weak every-once-and-awhile, everybody is!"

"He's right, we don't care," Raven said, her voice less flat than usual. "I mean, we do care but we don't-you know what I mean. Robin, if you want to cry, we won't judge you. Everyone gets hurt and everyone cries, it's life." Robin trembled and Starfire patted his back as he sobbed, letting the tears fall and he shook in her delicate arms. The five stood there in silence as Robin cried softly, none of them knowing what to say.

"I'm just-I'm just so scared that he's right," Robin whispered. Everyone was suddenly at attention when he spoke and Starfire gasped in shock at the words. She let go and Cyborg grabbed Robin by the shoulders firmly, getting the smaller teen to look up at him.

"What? Are you kidding? Robin, everyone likes a thrill and stuff but you are not a villain! One mistake, one slip up, doesn't make you the bad guy! What makes you a bad guy is willing to destroy anything and kill anyone in your path to get what you want, not liking a thrill!" Cyborg told him, the others nodding in agreement.

"You're not a villain in a hero's mask," Raven assured him. Beast Boy nodded firmly in agreement and Robin nodded too, let out a breath. "Come on, let's get you cleaned and bandaged up, you look like shit." Everyone chuckled as Raven spoke and Robin gave a soft smile as they all headed towards the med. bey.

AΩ

Robin stared up at the ceiling as he lay on his bunk, the silence of his mind making him feel at peace with himself as Slade's voice no longer sounded inside his thoughts. He didn't know what to think at all right now aside from being unsure about how he felt about telling his team about Slade and how he felt, he swore they all seemed to doubt him more then they had before and he didn't like it. What if they questioned him in the middle of battle and they got hurt? What if they didn't and they still got hurt? Robin shuddered at the thought and sighed, not knowing what was right and wrong anymore. Maybe they were right about not being sure about his state of mind right now, it would be bad if they weren't. There was a knock and Robin looked over at the door.

"It's open," he called softly, watched as it opened to reveal Starfire who walked towards him. "Hey, Star." Robin sat up, scootching over so she had room to sit in front of him. Starfire smiled at him and took her spot across from him. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering how you were feeling. I know you don't like us treating you like this but we just want to help," Starfire told him gently. Robin sighed and looked down.

"You're right, I don't like it but I know it's for the best so, thanks I guess," he muttered. Starfire smiled gently at him. "Hey, Star, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Starfire said, sitting criss-cross in front of him. Robin smiled softly at her enthusiasm. She was always so eager to listen when someone was willing to talk, on matter what it was about.

"Well, I just want to be completely sure, you don't think that Slade was right, do you? That I'm not as good as I think I am?" Starfire frowned at the question, obviously not happy with it.

"Of course not!" she said in protest to it. "You are a hero, you are our leader, nothing can change that." Robin gave a soft smile and chuckled.

"Just checking," he said in a joking tone and Starfire giggled as she realized the true meaning behind the question. "Ok, I have one more question, a real one this time." Starfire nodded, listening. Robin blushed in embarrassment. "Would you please help me change my cape? This one's ripped and I can't change it with one good hand." Starfire nodded with a smile.

"But of course!" she said happily and stood up. "Where are your capes?" Robin chuckled and stood as well, heading towards his closet and opening it to show her his suits. He pulled out a cape and handed it too her. Starfire set it down and reached for the one he already wore, easily removing it and putting it beside the new one. "Hold still please." Robin nodded and stood completely still as Starfire clipped the new cape into place. "There!"

"Thanks," Robin said with a smile. Starfire nodded and giggled. "Oh, one last thing." Starfire hummed thoughtfully, wondering what it could be now and blushed as he hugged her from the side. "Thanks." Starfire hugged him back.

"You are most welcome!" Starfire exclaimed. Robin chuckled and they let go. "I am making dinner tonight! It shall be ready soon." Starfire flew out of Robin's room and he laughed a little at her happiness, not in mocking but in joy for her. He sighed happily and sat on his bunk. How lucky he must be to have friends like this.

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**And that's a wrap!  
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**Thanks for reading, please review and have a bow chicka bow wow day~**

**Petchricor, QotG, signing off ;)**


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